all；　she　received　from　the　King；　M。　Le　Roi　calculates；　about　　　　　　twelve　and　a　half　millions　of　livres。　　On　the　death　of　Louis　XV。　　　　　　she　had　to　retire　first　to　the　Abbey　of　Pont…aux…Dames；　near　Meaux；　　　　　　then　she　was　allowed　to　go　to　her　small　house　at　St。　Vrain；　near　　　　　　Arpajon；　and；　finally；　in　1775；　to　her　chateau　at　Louveciennes。　　　　　　Much　to　her　credit　be　it　said；　she　retained　many　of　her　friends；　　　　　　and　was　on　the　most　intimate　terms　till　his　death　with　the　Duc　de　　　　　　Brissac　（Louis　Hercule　Timoldon　de　Cosse…Brissac）；　who　was　killed　at　　　　　　Versailles　in　the　massacre　of　the　prisoners　in　September；　1792；　　　　　　leaving　at　his　death　a　large　legacy　to　her。　　Even　the　Emperor　Joseph　　　　　　visited　her。　　In　1791　many　of　her　jewels　were　stolen　and　taken　to　　　　　　England。　　This　caused　her　to　make　several　visits　to　that　country；　　　　　　where　she　gained　her　suit。　　But　these　visits；　though　she　took　every　　　　　　precaution　to　legalise　them；　ruined　her。　　Betrayed　by　her　servants；　　　　　　among　them　by　Zamor；　the　negro　page；　she　was　brought　before　the　　　　　　Revolutionary　tribunal；　and　was　guillotined　on　8th　December；　1793；　　　　　　in　a　frenzy　of　terror；　calling　for　mercy　and　for　delay　up　to　the　　　　　　moment　when　her　head　fell。
  The　men　of　ambition　who　were　labouring　to　overthrow　the　Duc　de　Choiseul　strengthened　themselves　by　their　concentration　at　the　house　of　the　favourite；　and　succeeded　in　their　project。　　The　bigots；　who　never　forgave　that　minister　the　suppression　of　the　Jesuits；　and　who　had　always　been　hostile　to　a　treaty　of　alliance　with　Austria；　influenced　the　minds　of　Mesdames。　　The　Duc　de　La　Vauguyon；　the　young　Dauphin's　governor；　infected　them　with　the　same　prejudices。
  Such　was　the　state　of　the　public　mind　when　the　young　Archduchess　Marie　Antoinette　arrived　at　the　Court　of　Versailles；　just　at　the　moment　when　the　party　which　brought　her　there　was　about　to　be　overthrown。
  Madame　Adelaide　openly　avowed　her　dislike　to　a　princess　of　the　House　of　Austria；　and　when　M。　Campan；　my　father…in…law；　went　to　receive　his　orders；　at　the　moment　of　setting　off　with　the　household　of　the　Dauphiness；　to　go　and　receive　the　Archduchess　upon　the　frontiers；　she　said　she　disapproved　of　the　marriage　of　her　nephew　with　an　archduchess；　and　that；　if　she　had　the　direction　of　the　matter；　she　would　not　send　for　an　Austrian。
  CHAPTER　II。
  MARIE　ANTOINETTE　JOSEPHE　JEANNE　DE　LORRAINE；　Archduchess　of　Austria；　daughter　of　Francois　de　Lorraine　and　of　Maria　Theresa；　was　born　on　the　2d　of　November；　1755；　the　day　of　the　earthquake　at　Lisbon；　and　this　catastrophe；　which　appeared　to　stamp　the　era　of　her　birth　with　a　fatal　mark；　without　forming　a　motive　for　superstitious　fear　with　the　Princess；　nevertheless　made　an　impression　upon　her　mind。　　As　the　Empress　already　had　a　great　number　of　daughters；　she　ardently　desired　to　have　another　son；　and　playfully　wagered　against　her　wish　with　the　Duc　de　Tarouka；　who　had　insisted　that　she　would　give　birth　to　an　archduke。　　He　lost　by　the　birth　of　the　Princess；　and　had　executed　in　porcelain　a　figure　with　one　knee　bent　on　the　earth；　and　presenting　tablets；　upon　which　the　following　lines　by　Metastasio　were　engraved：
  I　lose　by　your　fair　daughter's　birth　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Who　prophesied　a　son；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　if　she　share　her　mother's　worth；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Why；　all　the　world　has　won！
  The　Queen　was　fond　of　talking　of　the　first　years　of　her　youth。　　Her　father；　the　Emperor　Francis；　had　made　a　deep　impression　upon　her　heart；　she　lost　him　when　she　was　scarcely　seven　years　old。　　One　of　those　circumstances　which　fix　themselves　strongly　in　the　memories　of　children　frequently　recalled　his　last　caresses　to　her。　　The　Emperor　was　setting　out　for　Innspruck；　he　had　already　left　his　palace；　when　he　ordered　a　gentleman　to　fetch　the　Archduchess　Marie　Antoinette；　and　bring　her　to　his　carriage。　　When　she　came；　he　stretched　out　his　arms　to　receive　her；　and　said；　after　having　pressed　her　to　his　bosom；　〃I　wanted　to　embrace　this　child　once　more。〃　　The　Emperor　died　suddenly　during　the　journey；　and　never　saw　his　beloved　daughter　again。
  The　Queen　often　spoke　of　her　mother；　and　with　profound　respect；　but　she　based　all　her　schemes　for　the　education　of　her　children　on　the　essentials　which　had　been　neglected　in　her　own。　　Maria　Theresa；　who　inspired　awe　by　her　great　qualities；　taught　the　Archduchesses　to　fear　and　respect　rather　than　to　love　her；　at　least　I　observed　this　in　the　Queen's　feelings　towards　her　august　mother。　　She　therefore　never　desired　to　place　between　her　own　children　and　herself　that　distance　which　had　existed　in　the　imperial　family。　　She　cited　a　fatal　consequence　of　it；　which　had　made　such　a　powerful　impression　upon　her　that　time　had　never　been　able　to　efface　it。
  The　wife　of　the　Emperor　Joseph　II。　was　taken　from　him　in　a　few　days　by　an　attack　of　smallpox　of　the　most　virulent　kind。　　Her　coffin　had　recently　been　deposited　in　the　vault　of　the　imperial　family。　　The　Archduchess　Josepha；　who　had　been　betrothed　to　the　King　of　Naples；　at　the　instant　she　was　quitting　Vienna　received　an　order　from　the　Empress　not　to　set　off　without　having　offered　up　a　prayer　in　the　vault　of　her　forefathers。　　The　Archduchess；　persuaded　that　she　should　take　the　disorder　to　which　her　sister…in…law　had　just　fallen　a　victim；　looked　upon　this　order　as　her　death…warrant。　　She　loved　the　young　Archduchess　Marie　Antoinette　tenderly；　she　took　her　upon　her　knees；　embraced　her　with　tears；　and　told　her　she　was　about　to　leave　her；　not　for　Naples；　but　never　to　see　her　again；　that　she　was　going　down　then　to　the　tomb　of　her　ancestors；　and　that　she　should　shortly　go　again　there　to　remain。　　Her　anticipation　was　realised；　confluent　smallpox　carried　her　off　in　a　very　few　days；　and　her　youngest　sister　ascended　the　throne　of　Naples　in　her　place。
  The　Empress　was　too　much　taken　up　with　high　political　interests　to　have　it　in　her　power　to　devote　herself　to　maternal　attentions。　　The　celebrated　Wansvietten；　her　physician；　went　daily；　to　visit　the　young　imperial　family；　and　afterwards　to　Maria　Theresa；　and　gave　the　most　minute　details　respecting　the　health　of　the　Archdukes　and　Archduchesses；　whom　she　herself　sometimes　did　not　see　for　eight　or　ten　days　at　a　time。　　As　soon　as　the　arrival　of　a　stranger　of　rank　at　Vienna　was　made　known；　the　Empress　brought　her　family　about　her；　admitted　them　to　her　table；　and　by　this　concerted　meeting　induced　a　belief　that　she　herself　presided　over　the　education　of　her　children。
  The　chief　governesses；　being　under　no　fear　of　inspection　from　Maria　Theresa；　aimed　at　making　themselves　beloved　by　their　pupils　by　the　common　and　blamable　practice　of　indulgence；　so　fatal　to　the　future　progress　and　happiness　of　children。　　Marie　Antoinette　was　the　cause　of　her　governess　being　dismissed；　through　a　confession　that　all　her　copies　and　all　her　letters　were　invariably　first　traced　out　with　pencil；　the　Comtesse　de　Brandes　was　appointed　to　succeed　her；　and　fulfilled　her　duties　with　great　exactness　and　talent。　　The　Queen　looked　upon　having　been　confided　to　her　care　so　late　as　a　misfortune；　and　always　continued　upon　terms　of　friendship　with　that　lady。　　The　education　of　Marie　Antoinette　was　certainly　very　much　neglected。　　With　the　exception　of　the　Italian　language；　all　that　related　to　belles　lettres；　and　particularly　to　history；　even　that　of　her　own　country；　was　almost　entirely　unknown　to　her。　　This　was　soon　found　out　at　the　Court　of　France；　and　thence　arose　the　generally　received　opinion　that　she　was　deficient　in　sense。　　It　will　be　seen　in　the　course　of　these　〃Memoirs〃　whether　that　opinion　was　well　or　ill　founded。　　The　public　prints；　however；　teemed　with　assertions　of　the　superior　talents　of　Maria　Theresa's　children。　　They　often　noticed　the　answers　which　the　young　Princesses　gave　in　Latin　to　the　harangues　addressed　to　them；　they　uttered　them；　it　is　true；　but　without　understanding　them；　they　knew　not　a　single　word　of　that　language。
  Mention　was　one　day　made　to　the　Queen　of　a　drawing　made　by　her；　and　presented　by　the　Empress　to　M。　Gerard；　chief　clerk　of　Foreign　Affairs；　on　the　occasion　of　his　going　to　Vienna　to　draw　up　the　articles　for　her　marriage…contract。　　〃I　should　blush；〃　said　she；　〃if　that　proof　of　the　quackery　of　my　education　were　shown　to　me。　　I　do　not　believe　that　I　ever　put　a　pencil　to　that　drawing。〃　　However；　what　had　been　taught　her　she　knew　perfectly　well。　　Her　facility　of　learning　was　inconceivable；　and　if　all　her　teachers　had　been　as　well　informed　and　as　faithful　to　their　duty　as　the　Abbe　Metastasio；　who　taught　her　Italian；　she　would　have　attained　as　great　a　superiority　in　the　other　branches　of　her　education。　　The　Queen　spoke　that　language　with　grace　and　ease；　and　translated　the　most　difficult　poets。　　She　did　not　write　French　correctly；　but　she　spoke　it　with　the　greatest　fluency；　and　even　affected　to　say　that　she　had　lost　German。　　In　fact　she　attempted　in　1787　to　learn　her　mother…tongue；　and　took　lessons　assiduously　for　six　weeks；　she　was　obliged　to　relinquish　them；　finding　all　the　difficulties　which　a　Frenchwoman；　who　should　take　up　the　study　too　late；　would　have　to　encounter。　　In　the　same　manner　she　gave　up　English；　which　I　had　taught　her　for　some　time；　and　in　which　she　had　made　rapid　progress。　　Music　was　the　accomplishment　in　which　the　Queen　most　delig